Septimius Severus was born in North Africa around 145 CE and became emperor of Rome from 193–
211 CE. In 1967, VMFA bought a sculpture of Septimius Severus, and over the years, people began to wonder if the sculpture was entirely ancient. In 2008, scholars began to study the sculpture more closely and performed scientific tests to learn when the sculpture was made. These studies proved that the statue’s torso, upper legs and head were sculpted in ancient times, but the other parts were carved and added in the 1600s. Today, the statue of the emperor looks like it did in the 1600s.